Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who appeared at the TED stage yesterday, explained that smartphones don't allow their users to interact enough with the outside world, and even called them "emasculating." People walk around with their faces buried in their smartphone's screen and swipe at a piece of glass.

"Is this the way you're meant to interact with other people?" asked Brin. "It's kind of emasculating. Is this what you're meant to do with your body?

"When we started Google 15 years ago, my vision was that information would come to you as you need it. You wouldn't have to search query at all."

According to Brin, Google Glass -- a hands-free, voice-activated headset with augmented reality features -- is that vision materialized. Brin showed Google Glass off at TED, saying it's the way people were meant to interact with one another while still using digital technology.

Google Glass is being offered to early adopters right now for a steep price of $1,500.

Exactly... I love the idea of recording a movie on demand without having to aim a phone. It just records exactly what you see. The applications are limitless... And the amatuer porn industry just got alot better ;)

I don't think anyone here is trying to say that these do not have potential. They do, a ton. This very well may be the foundation of future technology. What most people here seem to be trying to convey, though, is that *current* technology severely limits the usefulness of the devices for what a typical consumer would want. Very few people are going to pay a premium for a device with limited capabilities that requires speaking voice commands to control functionality. That doesn't even count the number of people who won't wear it because it "looks dumb."

Perhaps the reason Sergey Brin is trash talking smartphones is because from a business point of view Android, and hence it's entire smart phone strategy, has been such a spectacular failure for Google. It's mobile income per user is still tiny compared to per desktop user and most of that income comes from iOS. Google has spent billions to be the free R&D department for Samsung. That won't last.

quote: Your narrow minded view on tech underscores why you are an iPhone fan. You have no vision or insight into technical matters.

That's a bit rich coming from the guy who said of the iPad back in May 2010: "Once the Apple fanboy rush to buy thing wears off and people actually start using them, then realize its not that great of a thing, sales will dwindle."

"Perhaps the reason Sergey Brin is trash talking smartphones is because from a business point of view Android, and hence it's entire smart phone strategy, has been such a spectacular failure for Google"

ROFLMAO!!!

That is hilarious. You really do live in an Apple-centric dream don't you? LOL. Usually your ill thought through one sided Apple bias is tiring, but this comment is truly hilarious. Thank you for that. Priceless.

If we're looking at reality then Samsung and Microsoft have both made way more from Android than Google has (Samsung from hardware and MS from licensing). Google continues to make way more money mining data and serving ads on iOS than they have from Android. Why else would their own iOS apps be superior to their Android counterparts? Gotta go where the money is. It also explains why they have no interest in serving WP8. :/

Tony is a mega-fanboy but unfortunately hard numbers and reality don't lie. It's the product of Google giving away a mobile OS, they aren't really supposed to make money on it. The unexpected outcome, so far at least, is that ad revenue and data mining from their own platform hasn't been number one because users on the whole don't use it as a smartphone as much.

On the plus side, Android remains a secondary source of mobile income for them, and more money is better than if they were just serving ads and apps on a single platform, right? :)

I suppose Google wants to make money from both the hardware and the software this time with Glass, same with some of the new ChromeOS machines. Its a big departure from their Android strategy.

"Google giving away a mobile OS, they aren't really supposed to make money on it "

Exactly... But money does come. Tony saying its a "spectacular failure" is ridiculous. Its given for free to bolster other revenue and its about branding, marketing, advertising, and dominating industry. Android is a long term strategy that is just in its infancy. They just starting selling high volume in 2011 FFS. It's not just doing well now, its gone from zero to dominating the industry in just a few years, and is still on its way up. The X phone and Android 5 are just a few months out.

But this isnt about Android, that is just Tony and jis need to change the subject to one that doesnt make an Apple competitor look good. As for Google Glass, it looks amazing. The potential is sky high. I cant freegin wait.